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SGA-WZ: a new strapdown airborne gravimeter
Yangming Huang1, Arne Vestergaard Olesen, Meiping Wu
1College of Mechatronics Engineering and Automation, National University of Defense Technology, Changsha 410073, Hunan, China. huangyangming@gmail.com
Sensors (Basel, Switzerland)
|September 27, 2012
Summary
This study introduces an advanced airborne gravimeter that leverages Global Positioning System (GPS) data to overcome limitations in inertial navigation systems. The new design offers improved accuracy for regional gravity mapping from aircraft.
Area of Science:
- Geophysics
- Navigation Systems
- Gravimetry
Background:
- Airborne gravimeters map regional gravity with mGal accuracy but are limited by inertial sensor performance and kinematic acceleration determination.
- Global Positioning System (GPS) development has mitigated vehicle acceleration determination as a limiting factor in airborne gravity surveys.
- Existing airborne gravimeter systems face challenges in achieving optimal accuracy due to sensor and navigation integration limitations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe a novel airborne gravimeter design that enhances accuracy and performance.
- To integrate Global Positioning System (GPS) data with inertial navigation systems (INS) for improved airborne gravity measurements.
- To detail the mechanical design, time synchronization, thermal control, and sensor modeling of the new gravimeter.
Main Methods:
- Integration of differentiated Global Positioning System (GPS) data into the inertial navigation system (INS).
- Implementation of an improved mechanical design with high-precision time synchronization and enhanced thermal control.
- Optimization of sensor modeling for gyroscopes and accelerometers within the airborne gravimeter system.
Main Results:
- The new airborne gravimeter design demonstrates improved performance by utilizing GPS for precise altitude and vehicle acceleration calculation.
- Enhanced sensor modeling and system integration lead to more accurate regional gravitational quantity mapping.
- Field test results validate the enhanced accuracy and reliability of the developed airborne gravimeter system.
Conclusions:
- The novel airborne gravimeter, enhanced by GPS integration, significantly overcomes previous limitations in accuracy and performance.
- This advanced system provides more precise altitude information and effective vehicle acceleration calculation for airborne gravity surveys.
- The study highlights the successful application of improved design and sensor integration for high-accuracy geophysical mapping from aircraft.
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